1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to treatment or therapy of speech disorders. In particular, the present invention is a fully integrative therapy program for relief of the speech disorder of stuttering.
2. Prior Art
Stuttering is a communicative disorder which has a negative impact on a person's ability to make verbal communication with other person or persons, with physiological negative side effects impacted on the person affected with the stuttering condition. Side effects from the inability to make, what is considered, normal verbal communication, effect the afflicted person psychologically and physically. The mental condition of a person afflicted with stuttering is often expressed socially, in different negative impacts according to the then current environment. The afflicted person may have one negative social impact in a family environment, a different, negative social impact with friends, away from the family environment and a third, totally different negative social impact in an environment with strangers. Side effects of stuttering are not limited to the afflicted person but often have a negative effect on persons listening to a person who stutters.
Conditions that cause stuttering vary greatly. Some conditions may be physical, some may be psychological, with a combination of both conditions often occurring. The physical condition may be a physical deformation or the inability to use physical elements properly or negative habits. Negative habits usually are developed early in life and are usually difficult to overcome. The struggle for fluent speech communication is evident in both children and adults. Therapy that should be individual and personal is often individual but not personal.
Prior treatment programs to overcome stuttering have been limited by addressing the problem of stuttering only, or in conjunction with the emotional aspect of the individual afflicted with stuttering. The behavior aspect has been treated by correction and repetition while the emotional aspect has been treated through a psychoanalytical approach and/or medication, which often has its own negative side effects. The bending and changing of early developed habits is a difficult challenge and once the habit is overcome reversion to the old habit is easy for the person, when the pressure of corrective action is removed.
Treatment for overcoming the problem of stuttering may be found, in a limited approach, in the prior art. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,521 issued to Coleman et al in February 1994, teaches a computer network system for treating a plurality of verbally handicapped persons, remotely, during the same period of time. A local interface to a central computer system is provided so that a speech therapist and/or a verbally handicapped person can communicate with a central speech development computer. Speech exercise selection may be made remotely. This impersonal system addresses only a fraction of the problems attendant speech disorders and/or defects. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,567 issued to Webster in May 1977, teaches a method of speech therapy for persons who stutter. The method taught is limited to monitoring response adequacy and repetitive syllable formulation. This therapy is used to overcome the problem of stuttering. However, this teaching addresses only the physical and vocal problems attendant the speech disorder of stuttering. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,012,852 issued to Journot et al in March 1977, teaches the limited use of an electronic scoring apparatus which times, scores and displays both time and score to a person engaged in speech correction exercises. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,834 issued to Ron in July 1997, teaches a biofeedback speech correction system which is essentially a speech-training system. The voice of a speaker is monitored and, from the spoken words, the emotional state of the speaker is determined. A biofeedback system coupled to the speaker, alters one or more physiological variable characteristics of the emotional state of the speaker, generating speech correction. This teaching does not address correction of speech impairments, rather it alters the on-going state of mind of a speaker. U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,129 issued to Fayerman et al in March 1998, teaches the use of an electronic timer to provide timed commands for rhythmically inhaling, speaking and exhaling for developing positive speech habits. This teaching addresses the breathing and speaking aspects of correcting the speech pattern of a person who stutters while other, more basic problems attendant this speech disorder remain unaddressed by this teaching. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,135 issued to Friedman et al in June 1998, teaches a speech therapy system which monitors voice data and breathing data of a person and converts the data from analog to digital form. Although this teaching may simplify the processing of data, the teaching fails to address problems attendant speech impairments. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,904 issued to Russell et al in August 1998, teaches a speech training aid for assisting a person in changing speech habits or speech influences such as territorial speech characteristics. This teaching addresses the problems of speech and/or word elegance. U.S. reissued patent #US Re37,684E issued to Shpiro et al in April 2002 on U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,671 issued January 1996, teaches apparatus for interactive speech training. Prerecorded specimens of speeches are played to a person for attempted imitation or mimicking for improving speaker techniques. A computer database has prerecorded speeches classified according to age, gender and/or dialect for selection by the user. A person who is afflicted with the speech disorder of stuttering is identified as ‘stutterer’. Authority for this identification is the Random House Webster's College Dictionary, Copyright 1995, 1992, 1991.